Starbucks strike spreads, 10K baristas walk out on Christmas Eve
The union representing Starbucks baristas said on Tuesday that a strike against the java giant has expanded to more than 300 locations — with about 10,000 coffeehouse workers walking off the job on Christmas Eve.
Baristas in more than 50 cities including New York, Boston, Dallas, Denver, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Seattle and Chicago have walked the picket line since Friday demanding better wages and work conditions.
The extent to which the work stoppage has damaged Starbucks business is unclear.
According to company filings cited by the New York Times, a typical company-owned Starbucks location in the United States generates anywhere between $4,000 and $8,000 during a normal business day.
That number is even higher during the holiday season, according to the Times.
The strike is scheduled to end on Tuesday and workers are due to report to their stores on Christmas Day.
Earlier this week, Starbucks said the disruptions from the strike had no significant impact on its operations because only a small handful of US stores have been impacted.
The Post has sought comment from Starbucks and the union.
Starbucks Workers United, the union which launched the strike, represents employees at more than 500 company-owned stores — which is around 5% of the total number of stores being operated in the US.
Overall, Seattle-based Starbucks operates more than 11,000 stores in the US, employing about 200,000 workers.
The company has so far rejected union demands as exorbitant.
“Workers United proposals call for an immediate increase in the minimum wage of hourly partners by 64%, and by 77% over the life of a three-year contract,” Starbucks said over the weekend.
“This is not sustainable,” the coffee chain said.
Talks between Starbucks and the union hit an impasse with unresolved issues over wages, staffing and schedules, leading to the strike.
Starbucks began negotiations with the union in April. It said this month it had conducted more than eight bargaining sessions, during which 30 agreements had been reached.
According to Starbucks, the average pay for its workers is currently over $18 per hour, and, taken together with benefits, is worth more than $30 an hour.
“We are ready to continue negotiations to reach agreements,” the company added. “We need the union to return to the table.”
With Post Wires
